Cable cars are considered one of the San Francisco
signatures. This public transportation system was invented in 1873 and was
designed to deal with the city's steep slopes. Presently there's only three
lines left (Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, and California Street). The concept
is quite simple. Under the city streets there's looped cable which is
powered from the central powerhouse. When the cable car gripman operated
the handle the grip grabs the cable and the cable car is pulled along by
the moving cable. So hop in and enjoy the ride.
